


Yshara, the Hand of Elune

by Gleth



Category: Elite: Dangerous
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-16
Updated: 2015-04-16
Packaged: 2018-03-23 05:54:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3756937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gleth/pseuds/Gleth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short character intro, showing how an Elite: Dangerous commander got her start.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Yshara, the Hand of Elune

Yshara sighed as she slipped into the seat of her new Eagle, finally accepting her role in life would not be that of the Oldest Profession. No, not prostitute, that was mearly the fourth oldest. How could someone trade their own body, if there was no system in place to trade within? No, the Oldest Profession was Trader, as any member of Yshara's family would tell you. Trader was Oldest, but as soon as you have the ability to trade things people want you get someone who wants those things enough to take them, by force. This makes Pirate the Second Profession. And if you have those who take, you need those who will Protect. Trader, Pirate and Protector, they were the first professions. 

Followers of the Triple Goddess Elune like Yshara and her family knew this truth, as they also knew each had it's dark side. Trade could profit all, or it could produce profit that hurt those who created the goods it traded. Pirates could take only what their prey could afford allowing both sides to continue to make profit, or they could murder and destroy their way across the galaxy. And Protectors could either be a shining shield for humanity, or a crushing force swallowing all freedoms. Yshara's path was to be one of the darker shields, a Bounty Hunter. Someone who protected traders by hunting down those who preyed upon them. She'd once dreamed of being a trader, and maybe even managing to be one of the few of her family to gain the coveted Elite Trader status, but as war, rebellion and revolution started to spread once more amongst the stars she'd found herself in a different position.

She'd gained her first ship, a beaten-up Sidewinder passed down through the family called Elune's Path, and had filled its tiny hold with a few tonnes of Bauxite from LHS 3447 that she hoped to sell to Frigaha for a small profit, the first of many trades on the way to Elite. However, when she reached the Nav Point of she'd found another trader under attack by pirates. Without even thinking of the risk she'd powered up her two pulse lasers and attacked, managing to gain her first kill and allowing the other trader to leave with life and cargo intact. As the adrenaline rush had subsided Yshara realised what she'd done and fled to the closest station where she'd traded her cargo for a little less of a profit than she'd expected, while the grateful station had re-filled and repaired her ship for cost price. As they did so they told her of how the local pirate gang had grown bolder, taking more and more ships and forcing a lock-down of the system by the authorities that didn't seem to be helping the situation. 

While she had done well in her first fight Yshara knew she was still a novice when it came to combat, plus she'd made a profit and was going to become an Elite Trader. It was then that her comms channel had come to life with a mayday, requesting any ships in the area come to help as one of the pirate gang's better ships was attacking everyone at the system's Nav Point. A surge had rung in her ears as she'd requested immediate take-off and before she knew it, Yshara's Sidewinder was hurtling through space toward the battle. When she got there she found a mess. Massive furballs of ships, pulses and beams of light stabbing through the black, shadows flitting across the sun in front of her as defenders and attackers alike fought furiously. Scanning the battle ahead of her, she found the main pirate vessel, a Viper, that was leading the two wings of pirates. While the system security ships were doing a good job of harassing it, they weren't quite good enough to take it out. Planning her first pass Yshara dove into the fight, pulse lasers blazing a line across the Viper before becoming embroiled in the battle.

Her memories of that battle were confused, the sound of charging shields, explosions, the patter of weapon fire against her own shields, and most gloriously her ship's computer saying "Target destroyed". Then she'd found the rest of the pirates were either fleeing or dead, and a bounty note flashing up on her screen that was many times the small profit her first trade had brought her. This time her journey back to the station was a slow one, full of thought. During the short trip she decided to at least give trading one more go, after all she might not be as lucky next time. Not only that, but the twenty thousand credits she was going to pick up meant a bigger hold and the money to fill it with something better than the Bauxite that had brought her here.

She had only just managed to refuel and repair, however, when the news came through. One of the gang's leaders, in a Feu De Lance, had appeared and was taking revenge for their recent defeat. Not only that, but Yshara was being called out by name! 

Her heart sinking, Yshara knew she had to answer that call. Either that or give up her dreams of becoming an Elite trader forever. She'd never get a chance to trade with that sort of mark on her, and all other piloting professions would push her to fighting or joining the pirates that had placed the mark. She steeled her nerves and called for permission to undock, ignored the relief in the voice giving her that permission, and punched the button to supercruise to get her to the system's nav point as quickly as possible. Coming out of supercruise she was relived to find ships from the local security company still fighting, and so, broadcasting her acceptance of the challenge to the FDL she attacked.

Again her memory of the battle fragmented. Light from the star silhouetting the deadly triangle of the FDL, the terrifying view of the FDL's main weapon flashing above her cockpit as she yanked at the controls of her Sidewinder, desperately reassigning power as different systems blared their needs her own lasers pulsing out toward the enemy and then, unbelievably, the sight of the FDL exploding...

The bounty flashed on her screen. Thirty thousand credits. That meant in her two battles she'd earnt almost sixty thousand. Enough for a Hauler, but she'd have to start with Bauxite again. Or. Or she had enough to buy an Eagle *and* outfit its third hardpoint. With her thoughts in a jumble she claimed the bounty from the local station and jumped back to the LHS 3447 system. On the long flight from the system's main star Gliese A to Worlidge station she came to the conclusion that Elune had obviously chosen her to be on of Her Protectors, a Hand of Elune, one who spent the time allotted to them finding those who preyed on the Traders not for profit but for fun, sending them to meet Elune's justice. Her decision was reinforced by the message she found almost hidden on the station bulletin board, asking all who could help protect the trade routes to to come join the wings forming there.

The Eagle, newly outfitted and named "Hand of Elune" glistened under the station lights as Yshara approached. Caressing it's skin she turned and entered, ready to take the path before her.


End file.
